Head rest for automobiles



March i8, 1958 R. L. RISING HEAD `REST FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 12, 1954 i IN VEN TOR. 1 mzLlsLvG United States Patent lCC l,

2,827,110 PatentedMar. 18, 1958 i 2,827,110 HEAD REST FOR AUTOMOBILES ,Rachel L. Rising, Los ngeles, Calif. Application August 12, 1954, Serial No. 449,434 2 Claims. (Cl. 15S-174) This invention relates to the head rest art, and more specifically, pertains to an improved head rest intended primarily for use in automobiles.

A =head rest, in general, is designed to allow one to relax while sitting, and to rest the neck muscles.

A head rest designed to be an automobile accessory should, for the users satisfaction,` be easily mounted firmly in place onl the seat and subsequently easily removed; be readily adjustable as to height or angle of the cushion, for comfort, yet firmly fxable in the desired position; be of such a shape as to comfortably receive the usersv head and restrain it from lateral swaying; be inexpensive and simple: of manufacture, yet sturdy and durable.

Instances of such head rests in the prior art, known to me, have been found to be insufficient in lateral stability, in ruggedness and in simplicity of construction, A

and to be too expensive.

The improvements embodied in the present invention are in the direction of increased ruggedness, simplicity, and ease of manufacture.

The present invention is a head rest attachment for automobile seats, comprising support means (broad enough for stability) removably hookably mountable on the back of a seat-that is, extending over a portion of the back and top of said seat; longitudinally virtually verticallyl positioned channel means effectively carried by said support means, or forming an integral part of said support means; connecting means longitudinally slidably but non-rotatably engageable with said channel means; head rest means (such as a curved lamina, or the like) cooperable to comfortably receive the head of the user, attachable (or attached.) to said connecting means and (preferably,V though not necessarily) bearing a head rest cushion. The expressionV channel means asused herein refers to any sheath structure of non-circular. cross-section which is longitudinally essentially straight; the connecting means matesV with said sheath or channel means and is restrained from lateralV (orv rotative)Y motion by it. In a preferred form ofthe. presentinvention the channel means engages the connectingmeanswith `suficient friction to hold itin anyv chosen positionwhile in use.V

From the above description ofthe basic and preferred genericforms of the present invention, it will be obvious to those skilled ini the-art that the present inventiontdoes indeed overcome the beforefmentioned disadvantages of the prior art, being of a simple, effective, inexpensive con` struction.

kWith theabove points in mind, it is an obg'ect of lthe present invention to provide hrm, comfort-able support for the head of. a person sitting in an automobile seat, through a headrestremovably hookably mountable on the seat.

yIt is a further object of the-present invention to providera headresufor use in automobiles, of cheap but sturdy and durable construction.

lt is valso-an object of the present invention to provide a head rest for usein automobiles which is continuously adjustable as to height.

Still another object ofi-the presentinvention is to provide a head restfor use in automobiles in which the angle of the head engaging portion (usually the head rest cushion) islreadily adjustable, fixable and lockable.V

G'ther'and allied objects-of the present invention will be apparent to'those skilled in the after after a careful perusal, examination and study` ofthe :accompanying drawings, the present specication, and theappended claims.

In order to aid comprehension of the present invention, reference is made to the attached drawings, in which:

lFig'. l is a side perspective of one form of ythe present invention in use, with the back of the seat and a user indicated by the broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the head rest, seat, and user shown in Fig. l2;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail sectional View of the area indicated by the rectangle IH in Fig. l, the section` being taken along the lineV Ill-HIv indicated in Fig. 2;

'Fig 4 is a fragmentary sectional vie'w of the head rest, the section lying in the plane determined by the lines IV-fIV of Figs. 2 and 3; e

IFig. 5 is a fragmentary partial sectional view of a modification in -Which the head rest means is attached to' the connecting means through universal joint means, the section being taken through a plane normal to the head rest means;` and Fig. 6 illustrates, in fragmentary horizontal cross-section, a modified version of the region shown in' Fig. 4.

`On an automobile seat 1, in the usual form of the invention, is mounted the support means indicated generally at 2. In the specific form illustrated in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4, longitudinal channel means is provided in the form of a thin long channel 3, is att-ached to the back side of the support means 2 and serves as sheath for connecting means 4, which then passes through the aperture A in the support means. The connecting means 4 is, in the specific form of the invention illustrated in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4, firmly attached to curved head rest means S, which bears a head rest cushion (made of foam rubber or similar' material) indicated at 6. rflue cushion is customarily protected with a cover 7, and supports the back of the head of the user S.

Figs. 3 andV 4 illustrate the details of how the connecting means 4, usually a metal' snap, is slidingly retained in the channel S-which has a. boxlike structure, the sides being metalstrips 9 firmly attached, Aby spotwelds or similar means, to the support means and to the back strip 1G (which-is-usually provided with a constriction B' which a'ct asa spring to resiliently, frictionally, hold the connecting means firmly but slidin-gly)- and of how the connecting Vmeans then passes through the aperture A, wliichpin certain forms of the invention, may beV slightly olfsetfrom the channel 3 to effectively frictionally lock the connecting means 4 in any selected position with respect to the support meansY 2 (or said connecting means i.v may be slightly curved to achieve the same end result).

Fig.v 5 illustrates a-slightlmodification of the form of the invention illustrated-inV Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4. in this modification, similar parts will be indicated by similar reference numerals, primed however.

The modified versionV of the present invention illustratedtin Fig. 5 includes universal joint means, indicated generally at 1i, adapted to effectively attach the upper end of the connectingmeans 4 withv respect to the head rest 5 in a manner whereby said universal joint means ii may befselectively loosened to allow relative angular adjustment of the head rest means 5 with respect to the upper-end of the connecting means 4 and whereby said universal joint means 11 may be selectively tightened to lock said head rest means in any selected angular position with respect to the upper end of the connecting means 4', when desired.

ln the specific example illustrated, the universal joint means 11 consists of a tubular hollow exteriorly threaded member r2 fixedly fastened to the rear side of the headV est means 5 and provided at its rear end with a semicylindrical seatl adapted to receive and engage a ball 14 fixedly carried by the endof the connecting means 4,

Vart andthe appended claims only, with due and to be retained in said seated position by an interiorl Vthreaded nut l5 threadedly engaging the exteriorly '4' to provide a comfortable position Vfor the headof a user of the device. The remainder of the deviceris generally similar to that hereinbefore-describcd. Therefore, further description of this modification is not thought necessary. Y

I claim: Y l. In a head rest attachment for automobile seats,'in combination: support means removably hookably mountable on the Yback of a seat; ahead restV cushion;said sup- Fig. 6 is a view generally'similar in aspect toY Fig. 4

but illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention, andsimilar parts will be indicated by similar reference numerals, doubly primed however. In this modification the longitudinal channel 3 is carried on the front side of the support means 2,Vand is of non-rectangular configuration in nhorizontal cross-section. Vln this modification, said channel 3 includesV a curved forward wall 1u fastenedV at 'its edges to the support means ZY, and also includes anl intermediate wall 17 providedwith a vertical slot llS. Said intermediate wall i7 being positioned between the front'wall 10" and the back wall of the support means 2". In the modificationillustrated in Fig. 6, the'connecting ymeans 4 consists of a central rod-like member provided adjacent its bottom end with Y two laterally directed flanges or ears l9'adapted to be slidably engaged between the intermediate Wall 17 and theV rear Wall of the support means 2" with the central rod-shaped portion 4" positioned in the vertical slot 18.

It should be noted that the modification illustrated ink Fig. 6 may be provided with back rest cushion means 20 cooperable with the support means'Z" to lie in front of the front wall'lil of the longitudinal channel 3"Y to effectively compensate for the slight protuberanceV provided `byY said channel means. Y j Y Numerous modifications VandV variations of they present invention will occur to those skilled in the art'after a carefulV study hereof. All such properly within the basic spirit and scope of the present invention are intended to be included and comprehended herein as fully as if specifically described, illustrated and'claimed herein.

For example, Vthe head rest and/or the back. rest cushions and/or covers may be modiiied substantially -and,iinr certain embodiments of theV present invention,

eliminated entirely. Y .Y

VAlso, thel means for frictionally locking the connect- Y ing means with respect to the support means in a selected relatively extended relationship can also bemodified substantially from the specific forms described and illustrated herein'. Y

VThe type of slidable butY non-rotative cooperative relationship of the connecting means with respect 'to Vthe channel means may be modifiedV within the spirit present invention.

In those forms of the present invention employing uni-V of the Vversal jointvmreans, substantial modification of the sperelative positionings, and/cooperative*relationships of the various component parts 'of the present invention are not critical,V and can be modied substantially within. the spirit of the present invention.

kThe embodiments of thepresent invention specifically described and illustrated herein are exemplary only, andV are not intended to limit the Vscope of the presentinven- 'tion which is to be interpreted in the Vlight of the prior consideration i'or the doctrine of equivalents.

port means beingprovided with channel means includf ing a rectangular aperture at the top thereof and an elongated substantially'vertically disposed channelof substantially rectangular cross-section on the rearside of Ysaid support means below and having Vits longitudinal axis angularly'oiset withfrespect `to the plane of said-reef tangular aperture, said cross-sectionally substantiallyV rectangular channel having a closedcentrally forwardly(V projecting rear wall portion; elongated connecting meansV ofVY rectangular cross-section longitudinally slidably and 4nonrotatablyfengaged Within'said substantiallyl rectangular channel and said rectangular aperture inV VVsaid support means, said Ycross-sectionally rectangular connecting means being restrained from lateral and rotational V(mover ment by said substantially rectangular channel and beingY frictionally engaged bygsaid closed centrally forwardly projectingrear 3wall portion of said channel to cause said connecting means to be frictionally held, while in use, in any position to which it is longitudinally slidably Y adjusted; headrest means consisting ofa lamina curved so as Vto comfortably receive the head of Va user, said head rest means being attached to said connecting means cluding a rectangularaperture Vat the top thereof andan elongated substantially vertically disposed channel of'sub-V stantially rectangular cross-sectionY on .the rear ,sideA of;

said support means below andjhaving its longitudinal axis angularly offset with respect tothe plane of saidv rectangular aperture, said cross-sectionally Vsubstantially rectangular channel Vhaving a closed centrally forwardly projecting rear wallV portion; elongated connectingY meansV of rectangular cross-section. longitudinally slidably/rand non-rotatably engaged Within said substantially rectangularchannel and said rectangular apertureinsaidsupport means, said Vconnecting means being restrained from lateral and rotational movement'by said substantially rectangular channel Vand being frictionallyV engagedjby'said closed centrally forwardly projecting rear wall portion of said channel to cause said connecting'means to be fric-Y tionally held, While in use, in rany positionrto which it is longitudinally slidably adjusted; head rest meansiconsisting of a lamina curvedso as to ,comfortably receive Y ytheV head of a user and bearing said head/rest cushion;

universal joint means effectivelyV attachingy said head rest f ymeans tosaid connecting means adjacent the upperend thereof, said universal jointmeans being cooperable Yto be selectively tightened and locked in any chosen position, whereby the user may comfortably and securelyfresthis head and neck by adjusting said head rest means'as to height through the sildable cooperation of said conand said rectangular aperture, andas toangnlar position by adjusting saiduniversal jointmeaus.'4 n

necting means and said substantially( rectangular channel References Cited in the iile of this'patent Y n UNITED STATES PATENTS Y V 380,251 Dillon f .,v .Mar. 27,'1888 996,717 Hoyer 'Iulyc4, 1911 .Y 1,597,355 FussellV Aug. 24, 1926! 2,180,768 PetersonV Nov. 2l, 1939i 2,49125383 

